Hei Xiaohu would never forget that day.
His mother died in his arms, with a gentle smile still on her face.
Chai Feng held the blade, a fierce light flashing in his eyes.
"Don't worry, I'll send you to reunite with your mother without any pain."
"Next life, remember not to be reborn into the Demon Cult. You're not worthy!"
Just as he grinned maniacally, laughing wildly…
Boom!
A terrifying Demonic Path pressure swept over them, overwhelming.
Chai Feng was instantly pressed to the ground by this aura, unable to move a single muscle.
"WHO... KILLED MY BAI LI!!!"
Demonic echoes rolled like a tidal wave, mountains crumbling and seas roaring.
The Demon Cult's Leader's peerless demonic power poured out madly at this moment.
Half of the cliff face of Black Tiger Cliff was devoured by boundless demonic energy.
Chai Feng's eyes bulged with rage, widening unwillingly.
"It's a token! You left a token on her?! I, Chai Feng, calculated everything, but I missed this! I'm not willing!!"
Without any surprise, the surging demonic energy ground Chai Feng into dust.
Demonic clouds rolled, the Demon Lord descended.
Heixin Hu walked over slowly, his face seeming to have aged several years.
In his life, he asked for little else.
Only two wishes.
First, to cultivate peerless demonic power, drink the Qilin's blood, and dominate the martial world alone.
Second, to grow old together with Bai Li.
After nurturing Hei Xiaohu into the next Demon Cult Leader, he would retire in peace.
Who would have thought that before his martial world ambitions were achieved, his beauty had already perished.
And the one who struck the fatal blow wasn't the righteous Seven Heroes, long-time enemies outside the Demon Cult…
But the Demon Cult's own brothers, beloved kin.
"Bai Li, I've failed you."
Hei Xiaohu stared blankly at that back.
The once broad, indomitable, peerlessly domineering Heixin Hu, at this moment, seemed so desolate.
With the cool wind, a few glistening drops seemed to fall onto Hei Xiaohu's face.
He tasted them… they were salty, bitter.
"Father, Mother, she..."
"Your mother is dead. She died for you."
Heixin Hu took a deep breath.
Immediately, he returned to being the authoritative and domineering Demon Cult Leader.
"It's all because you didn't train hard enough, because you were weak, that the villain succeeded. Xiaohu, you didn't protect your mother well enough."
Heixin Hu's voice was deep and stern as he shouted.
"Return to the Cliff of Reflection to train! For the next three years, observe mourning for your mother while practicing the 'Heavenly Demon's Chaotic Dance'. Not a single day's rest."
"Do you understand?!"
Looking at Heixin Hu's outwardly stern face, which couldn't fully conceal his sorrow, Hei Xiaohu's mouth opened slightly, wanting to say something.
But the words reached his lips and were held back.
"Your son... understands."
He knelt woodenly, as he always had.
Hei Xiaohu wondered, 'What did Mother mean by 'decide your own life'?'
'What was my life?'
'Young Master of the Demon Cult? Ordinary scholar? Martial arts prodigy?'
Seemingly yes and no, seemingly real yet empty.
The first half of his life was a dispensable shadow.
Beneath the mask was only an empty shell.
For the next three years, Hei Xiaohu asked himself at his mother's grave every day.
Every moment, he searched for the answer.
Time flew, three years passed in the blink of an eye.
His martial talent was indeed frighteningly high.
In just three years, he mastered the 'Heavenly Demon's Chaotic Dance', which had taken Heixin Hu decades.
Once the Young Master of the Demon Cult emerged, he stirred up the martial world, his might shaking all factions.
But Hei Xiaohu's true heart remained lost.
He was still playing the role of the Young Master, unable to find his belonging.
Until Lantu appeared.
Hei Xiaohu became obsessively 'in love' with her.
He began pursuing Lantu endlessly, even repeatedly going easy on the Seven Heroes, longing for just a shred of her affection.
Before meeting the Group Owner, Hei Xiaohu thought that was love.
Because he loved Lantu, he was willing to give and devote himself to her.
But after today, Hei Xiaohu finally understood.
That wasn't love.
He saw a reflection of his mother in Lantu.
It was out of guilt, out of confusion.
Guilty that his mother took that sword for him, so he desperately tried to compensate through Lantu.
Confused by the question he hadn't found an answer to for over a decade.
So he deceived himself into thinking Lantu was the answer.
That obtaining her was the life he wanted.
But in reality…
'What was the life I truly wanted?'
Hei Xiaohu clenched his fist.
It seemed he was no longer lost.
[Ding! Your Soul-Piercing's Questioning was successful. Hei Xiaohu's darkening progress has reached 30%. Reward: Martial Arts Manual 'Heavenly Demon's Chaotic Dance'.]
The moment Hei Xiaohu's inner conflict resolved, a system prompt sounded in Hattori's mind.
He couldn't help but smile.
Soul-Piercing's Questioning was a new tool unlocked in the group chat.
It could knock on a group member's heart, making them face their truest self.
'It seemed the effect was good.'
[Dark Group Owner: @Young Master of the Demon Cult, It seems you've figured it out. So, what is your choice?]
[Young Master of the Demon Cult: Group Owner, thank you. I've made my decision.]
Hei Xiaohu gripped the silk ribbon Lantu left behind, a cold smile curling his lips.
With both hands, he tore it to shreds with force.
[Young Master of the Demon Cult: The life of an ordinary scholar that my mother wished for me… I want it.]
[Young Master of the Demon Cult: The life of a Demon Cult's overlord that my father wishes for me… I want it too.]
[Young Master of the Demon Cult: I want Lantu, I want the Qilin's blood, I want the position of Martial World Supreme, I want the status of ruler over all under heaven...]
Hei Xiaohu understood.
From the very beginning, his true heart wasn't weakness and confusion.
It was greed!
He wanted his father's care, and he also wanted his mother's smile.
That's why he played both roles, desperately trying to please them.
But…
Pleasing others couldn't get him everything.
Only domineering conquest could possess it all.
[Young Master of the Demon Cult: Group Owner, my choice, my path of darkening is:]
[Young Master of the Demon Cult: The ruler over all under heaven, with no one to defy me. Whatever my heart desires, I want it all.]